FEATURE STORY #2
water: then & now
Written by Tan Wei Lin
What comes to mind when one mentions ‘dirty water’? It seems like such a far-fetched idea that cannot really be grasped. That’s completely understandable though - especially since we live in Singapore, where water is readily available. But the nation was not always like that; there was a time when the tap did not run with clean water, when water was not just a bathroom away, when water was the most inaccessible and precious resource one could have. What does life with a scarce water supply look like? Two of our Singaporean seniors share their experiences on water, then and now.
For 54-year-old Shanti Subramaniam, the memories of water rationing and water pipe cleaning rings clear in her mind. When the regular water pipe cleaning came about, she “recalled water rationing to be fun actually.” It was as if she was in her own race against time: “My siblings and I would collect pails and pails of water before the water supply got shut down - for hours sometimes.”
a privilege that many countries in our region actually do not have
Shanti subramaniam
Looking back, she now sees how much of a hassle it must have been for her mother. The water pipe cleaning meant that chores had to be held back, showers had to be forgone, water could only be used for the necessities. These recollections stand to remind Aunty Shanti that clean water is “a privilege that many countries in our region actually do not have”.
81-year-old Chew Huai Tong also recalls these experiences from his teenage years. Growing up in a kampung, Uncle Tong did not have water readily available. He remembers how his family had to collect water from wells in his childhood days before public taps were constructed along the roads by the city council.
“You carry your containers to the public place to get your water and bring it home.” When water rationing happens, it inconveniences the people even more. Uncle Tong shares that his family could collect barely enough water to live. “My family was poor, where got so many containers? We only had two to collect water.” Once the water supply gets cut off, showering and laundry become a privilege they cannot afford. They could only spare enough water to cook their meals.
My family was poor, where got so many containers?
Chew huai Tong
But these experiences are no longer our reality - water has become a resource that’s so accessible for all of us to use. When asked about her thoughts on the progress of our water journey, Aunty Shanti says, “There’s hardly any more water interruptions. In our homes, we readily receive clean water, safe enough for consumption, straight from the pipe.”
Having seen the vast difference between the water situation of her childhood and now, Aunty Shanti reiterates the message of how water is precious. As a nation with hardly any resources, she tells us that “we need to be less indulgent in how we handle this precious resource”. Practically, she suggests cutting down time in the shower, as well as soaking and washing dirty dishes in the sink rather than under the running tap. “Used water can even be used to water plants,” she says.
Uncle Tong summarises his opinion in one sentence: “It’s so convenient to use water now.” When asked for tips, the 81-year-old even joked and mentioned that to save water, all you had to do was “shower just once a day, instead of twice or thrice.” On a more serious note, he suggests that water can be drawn from a container or pail instead of running the showerhead, which induces a huge water wastage. Uncle Tong tells us how even choosing to run the washing machine on a full load helps in water conservation as well.
Aunty Shanti’s and Uncle Tong’s stories come to show that indeed, water is a precious resource Singaporeans cannot afford to squander on. Their sharings remind us that acts of water-saving need not be big. In our daily choices, you and I can stop the drop.
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